 And the title of our sermon this morning is you must be born again. You must be born again. And we are in John chapter 3, verses 1 through 8. I want to read this text again for us. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. And Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born again when he's old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit. You know, a woman once asked George Whitfield, the famous preacher George Whitfield, why he insisted on always preaching that you must be born again, you must be born again, you must be born again. And George Whitfield responded, because madam, you must be born again. Why should God's people preach those words to lost people? Because you must be born again. Many today claim to be born again. They have absolutely no idea what in the world they're talking about. A witness to a lost man once that said he was born again because he stood in a Christian bookstore, read some theology and for the first time just sort of believed that it was true. Others believe themselves to be born again because they grew up in a Southern Baptist church. Or because they're a little more serious about their religion than maybe others around them. Or at one point or another they made a decision for Jesus Christ and were born again. Many, many, many are deceived and on their way to hell because they believe themselves to be born again after coming to understand the doctrines of grace for the first time. They discover it in the Bible and now they're converted to Calvinism but they're not converted to Christ. You must be born again. Or the words of Jesus Christ referring here to the doctrine of regeneration. Regeneration is a creative work of Almighty God in which man is completely passive. There is no cooperation on the part of man. Man has nothing to do with his first birth and he's going to have nothing to do with his second birth. Salvation is completely and wholly of the Lord. Is that not what the Bible says? It's an immediate change or transformation of your entire nature. It affects everything about you. It affects your thoughts, your reason, your heart, your will, your emotions, your intellect. Such that the direction of your life, the disposition of your heart is toward holiness. Regeneration produces what the Bible calls a new creation. Regeneration is the glorious truth for those in Christ that describe a time when God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses he made us alive together with Christ. Every single, genuine Christian was a dead Lazarus in the tomb that has been called out of the tomb to life in Christ Jesus. But there is a tremendous error associated with this vital doctrine. This is a critical truth in Scripture and there is so much error that swirls around it. Millions, and listen, that is no exaggeration. Millions have been deceived, diluted and damned believing the lies that have been spread as a result of this gross error that surrounds this doctrine. It's a view of regeneration that attributes to man that which can only be done by God. It's a view of the new birth that attributes to man that which can only be done by God. Many have died believing that the new birth has been given through the waters of baptism. It's called baptismal regeneration and it is a damning false gospel. Still others believe that they've been born again and the certainty of their new birth is grounded in a decision that the person has made they think to follow Christ. It's called decisional regeneration and it is a damning false gospel. Millions are deceived by these errors and all of it, all of it could be avoided by just properly and biblically understanding the truth of this passage that we're looking at this morning. These errors must be exposed for the damning delusions that they are and one way to stem the downward spiral of what looks like much of the professing church in America today and around the world is to faithfully preach, faithfully teach and adhere to the truth of Scripture that you must be born again. So let's get into our text. In the example of Nicodemus here in John chapter 3 verses 1 through 8 we're going to see the necessity of the new birth illustrated in Nicodemus's depraved understanding in verses 1 and 2, his depraved understanding. We're going to see the necessity of regeneration illustrated in his depraved heart in verses 3 through 4 and we're going to see the necessity of the new birth illustrated in his depraved will in verses 5 through 8. All men have all men as Nicodemus must be born again. All men have a depraved understanding. All men have a depraved heart. All men have a depraved will apart from Christ. And all men just like Nicodemus must be born again. So point one on your notes. Let's take a look at his depraved understanding from verses 1 and 2. Here in verse 1, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews and this man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Now let's root this passage here verses 1 through 8 in our context. We saw a depraved understanding, didn't we, in those servants at the wedding at Cana. When the Lord Jesus Christ did the miracle of turning water into wine, and believed, but those same servants, those servants there saw that miracle and there was something deficient in their belief. We saw a depraved understanding in those who saw the miracles that Jesus performed in Jerusalem after Passover, and yet those people it was said they believed in Jesus but they were not saved. They saw the miracles believed that Jesus did them and yet they were not saved. Here we see the same depraved understanding in Nicodemus. Those servants at Cana saw the miracle but they didn't see Christ for who he is or what he came to do. They saw, but they didn't see. Right? Those people in Jerusalem after Passover they saw the mighty works that Jesus Christ did in Jerusalem after Passover and yet they did not truly understand who he was or what he came to do. They saw, but they didn't see. They saw, but they didn't perceive. It was said in Chapter 2 verses 23 to 25 that Jesus did not entrust himself to them because he knew all men, number one, number two he knew what was in man. He didn't need that anyone testify of man he knew what was in man's heart. Jesus Christ knows all men. And so we've got a connection here. Chapter 3 verse 1 begins there was a man. He could have said there was a Pharisee or here comes Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews who's coming to Jesus but the Lord here wants us to see this connection. Nicodemus is an example of what the Lord has just taught us in verses 23 to 25. He's an example of those servants at the wedding in Cana and he's drawing this connection this connection is very clear. The chapter divisions aren't there in the Greek manuscripts, right? It follows immediately into the other. The connection is clear. Chapter 3 verse 2 begins this man came to Jesus. Again, just solidifying that connection. Nicodemus had certainly seen the mighty works that Jesus had done. He had been in Jerusalem after the Passover and like so many others he believed so to speak because of what he saw. But Nicodemus like those in verses 23 to 25 and Nicodemus like those servants at the wedding in Cana like so many others like he believed because of what he saw. But he represents those who profess some belief in Christ but he does not possess genuine saving faith in Christ. So the end of verse 2 we see the error here loud and clear. We see the deficiency and Nicodemus is thinking that has led to his counterfeit faith. 3.1 Nicodemus was just a man 3.2 this man came to Jesus at the end of verse 2 to Nicodemus Jesus was just a man Jesus was just a man as we went through the prologue in John chapter 1 and we saw all that Jesus is and that Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Here to Nicodemus after seeing those miracles Jesus is nothing more than a man just a good teacher sent from God Nicodemus has a depraved understanding. All men outside of Christ have a depraved understanding apart from being born again from above. Now this man Nicodemus in verse 1 was a Pharisee. He's one of the religious elite in Israel obsessively religious. Many of those Pharisees opposed Jesus Christ Nicodemus was favorable toward Jesus but it says he was a ruler of the Jews. He was probably a member of the Sanhedrin which is the highest governing body among the Jews in Israel and he would have been an extremely moral man very moral he would have obsessively kept the law. He prided himself in being moral and that's not unlike many many people today is it? People who are even obsessively religious very religious they faithfully go to church Nicodemus was faithfully worshiping in the temple they may faithfully read their Bible Nicodemus was a Pharisee and probably had most of the Old Testament memorized. They do all the right things they're very moral Nicodemus would have been obsessed with doing the right thing and yet for all of that Nicodemus professed some kind of belief in Jesus Christ but did not possess genuine saving faith. So this obsessively religious person came to Jesus by night. He came shrouded in darkness right just like his understanding of spiritual things they were shrouded in darkness he has a depraved understanding but nothing special here about him coming at night many say that he came because he was embarrassed or because he was fearful but in chapter 7 we see Nicodemus take somewhat of a stand for Christ with the other Pharisees boldly in chapter 19 verse 39 it's Nicodemus who courageously joins Joseph from Arimathea to bury Jesus it's most likely here in Nicodemus coming at night that he just wanted some time alone with Christ didn't want to be around the common people so to speak he wanted some time to talk he wanted time to ask questions and to spend some time with Jesus apart from the crowds now he makes a very revealing statement in verse 2 Rabbi we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him that certainly this statement you gotta see reveals a great ignorance on the part of Nicodemus there's a great ignorance here there's a bit of a tone here too Rabbi we know that you're a teacher sent from God no one can do these signs unless God is with him he's patronizing him Nicodemus here is the politician and he's not coming with the understanding that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh not approaching Jesus Christ rightly if Nicodemus knew who Jesus was there would be a different approach wouldn't there Nicodemus certainly didn't come with his head buried in his hands weeping over his sin and pleading with Jesus Christ the Lord to save him he wasn't coming crying out to Christ for salvation those men on the side of the road the blind men son of David had mercy on us they approached Jesus Christ more appropriately didn't they that tax collector in the temple beating his breast God to be merciful to me a sinner he was thinking rightly about God rightly about himself wasn't he Nicodemus didn't come here as a worship or needing a savior he came here more than equal more as a politician you know we have people among the Pharisees Jesus that we see what you're doing and we don't have a problem with it we think you're a good teacher he's more the politician he's patronizing him he's thinking to himself I'm an important person you're an important person can't we just all get along Nicodemus has a depraved understanding Nicodemus has got it completely and totally wrong this is not the way that you approach Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and like Nicodemus so does every single person apart from being born again no one approaches the Lord Jesus Christ appropriately apart from being born again we must have our wicked hearts transformed to truly see our desperate need for Christ we must be born again to see the the preciousness of Christ to see the glories and the excellencies of Christ all that Christ is and all that he came to do to recognize him as the Lamb of God the perfect sacrifice that would take away the center of the world is Christ your treasure is Christ your treasure is Christ precious to you I remember when I was lost and I would think about the preaching that I heard about Jesus Christ I would think to myself I just don't get it I mean I want heaven but I could really care less if Jesus Christ is there when I get there or not a whole idea of worshiping like in a church service like eternity not appealing to me at all because I was lost I had a depraved understanding and it took the Lord causing me to be born again to open my wicked eyes to see my wicked depraved heart and the glories of Christ it doesn't happen apart from being born again 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14 says the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned the natural man has a depraved understanding just like Nicodemus has a depraved understanding he doesn't have the ability he can't even possibly understand spiritual things because spiritual things are spiritually discerned he's a natural man here in John chapter 3 verse 6 that which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is spirit the natural man must be born again remember the story in Acts chapter 16 verse 14 of Lydia Lydia gets genuinely saved she had to have her heart opened to understand, to heed to those things spoken by Paul who does it say there who does it say there that opened her heart God says that God opened her heart this is the miracle this is the glorious truth of regeneration the new birth God opened her heart opened her understanding in Luke chapter 24 Jesus had to open the understanding of the disciples for them to understand the scriptures spiritual understanding both natural man cannot understand the things of God because they're spiritually discerned he has to have his understanding enlightened his understanding opened his heart opened to be able to understand the things from the scriptures you have lost theologians right that study the Bible they have some outward understanding of the scriptures maybe what is being said but all the connections are missing for the believer when the believer has his understanding opened and he reads the word of God doesn't it inflame your affections for Christ doesn't Christ become to you precious doesn't your sin become to you heinous when you read the Bible with understanding you hear the preaching of the word of God differently you read it differently you apply it to your life differently the word of God becomes your joy becomes your delight the words of the living God being spoken to you which is the lost person they may understand the facts but they're not making the connections the Lord isn't working in their heart the new birth being born again having your depraved understanding transformed is not being saved to new ideas or not being saved to intellectual information it's not having your understanding open to theology that's like mystery dinner theater until the Lord opens your mind it's not being converted to Calvinism and seeing that truth for the first time in scripture and thinking that wow I've never seen that before I must be born again it's not seeing the evidence for Christianity and simply realizing that it's true like any other series of facts there was a testimony of a very well known journalist and if you've heard this testimony before he studied the evidence of Christianity he investigated the evidence of Christianity at the end of all his searching at the end of all his research he said to himself well it looks like Christianity is real it looks like the facts are true and so I guess I'm a Christian it's not new birth he made that profession with none of the fruits of the new birth in his testimony so how do you know the difference how do you know the difference Jesus is going to come later and say in verse 8 that the new birth is similar to the wind can you see the wind in some cities you can it's not what we're talking about you see the stuff in the wind you don't see the wind how do you know that the wind is blowing you see it by evidence it's evidenced in Florida with the humidity down here you could cut your way through the wind it feels like most of the time but you can't see the wind we know the wind is blowing because so to speak of its fruits of its evidences the wind blows but you don't see the wind you know it's there by its effects how did Lydia when the Lord opened Lydia's heart to understand and to heed the things spoken of by Paul how did Lydia respond in Acts chapter 16 one Lydia heeded the things spoken by Paul if you're born again you hear the word of God your desire from the heart is to obey the word of God your desire is to please Him who enlisted you as a soldier of Jesus Christ to live for Him, to walk pleasing in the sight so Lydia certainly heeded those words she fottled the Lord in baptism it says there so she was obedient she wasn't baptized to get born again she wasn't baptized to get saved she was saved the Lord opened her heart and then she was baptized she begged she waited the disciples and Paul to stay at her house I'm convinced from Acts chapter 16 that Lydia just wanted to hear the word of God preached she wanted to be around God's people experiencing Christian fellowship if you're born again is that not what you want listen that's an evidence of the new birth if you don't care about Christian fellowship do you have a new heart you got the old same stinking heart you had before you don't love the word of God and want to talk about the word of God and want to study and meditate on the word of God and hear the word of God taught and hear the word of God preached you may have the same old stinking heart you had before she was hungry for the word of God begged them to stay at her house how did those disciples respond in Luke chapter 24 they responded by going out and preaching what they had just heard that's how they responded is that not what you want to do also if the Lord has changed your heart and you see the condition of man which is deplorably despairing destitute of hope when you see the condition of your own wicked heart and you see the lost people around you your friends, your co-workers your families, your neighbors is not that a fruit of regeneration a fruit and evidence of the new birth that you want to go out and share that same good news with those who are lost is it the fruit of new birth the fruit of regeneration that you would hoard that treasure to yourself you see just how wicked that is I've got the cure to cancer in my hand my loved one has cancer and I'm going to keep it from him it makes no sense it wouldn't make sense in any of those circumstances and it makes no sense in Christianity and yet people all over the place have a problem with us exhorting one another to evangelism that's wickedness that's wickedness do you love the word of God Bible says that man must not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God do you meditate on God's word is God's word a priority to you is God's word a preference to you is your affection and devotion to God's word exhibited or evidenced in your devotion to it do you read it or does it collect dust on the shelf during the week do you come to small group where it's being taught are you faithful in church where it's being preached there's a warning here there's a warning here that we need to take the understanding of the new birth there's a warning here that we need to understand about regeneration Mark chapter 4 listen to these words of Jesus in Mark chapter 4 verses 24 and 25 Jesus said to them listen let's see in Jesus said to them take heed what you hear you claim to be a Christian take heed what you hear you claim to be reborn you claim to have new birth regeneration take heed what you hear and how you hear it he says with the same measure you use it will be measured back to you and to you who hear more will be given don't you praise God for that you're born again and you hear the word of God you learn the word of God the Lord blesses you through that your life changes you're able to apply wisdom from the word of God in circumstances you learn more of Christ more of him you're transformed more and more into his likeness you love your brothers and sisters more you just become more holy with it you've got a new heart that's your desire just want to be holy want to live in righteousness before the Lord with the same measure you use it will be measured back to you and to you who hear more will be given you're going to make progress are you making progress in the Lord right now are you making progress in the Lord if you are devoted to the word of God listen on the authority of God's word I can say it's a promise from Scripture you will make progress the Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies through his word and his word is truth and when you are in the word of God devoted to the word of God you will make progress in your Christian life unless you're in rebellious sin against it to those who hear more will be given verse 25 listen to this though for whoever has to him more will be given but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him that is a tremendous warning that is a frightening truth listen when the bible talks of Christians fearing God you need to fear that happens I need to fear that in my own flesh that I would displease him that I would neglect this glorious means of grace that if the Lord gives you a new heart and it dwells you with his spirit gives you understanding such that when you come to the word of God you will be conformed to the image of Christ and I neglect that in my life if you think to yourself I've been a Christian for 3 years 5 years 7 years 10 years and you look back over those 10 years you can rejoice in all that the Lord has done for you in growing you and conforming you to Christ praise you God thank you I'm not where I want to be but by the grace of God I am where I am but don't you also look back over those 10 years and see the fruit of your own neglect see the consequences of or if I had devoted myself more faithfully to your word if I had devoted myself more faithfully to the brothers more faithfully to evangelism how much farther might I be along for the Lord right now if you don't have it even what you have will be taken away from you maybe you feel that maybe over the time you've not seen progress in your Christian life maybe you're actually seeing things go backwards even what you have will be taken away don't you haven't you at some point or another experienced that truth from the Bible you fall into sin you fall into apathy, indifference, neglect and you feel yourself just retreating maybe you have physically withdrawn you're just not here like you should be you're not plugged in with the brothers and sisters like you should be you have other preferences you have other priorities you have other affections even what you have will be taken away Colossians chapter 3 verse 16 instructs the Christians instructs Christians to both teach and admonish we're teaching this morning but let me admonish you some of you are not faithful in this some of you are not faithful your Bible is collecting dust during the week it's not even important enough to you that you spend some time each day to read it when the word of God is being taught you choose you choose to do something else you'll skip the teaching of God's word for any number of silly or flippant or self-indulgent decisions bottom line it's just not important to you it's just not important to you it may mean nothing or it may mean a lack of devotion to God's word it may mean a lack of devotion to God's people is it burdensome to you to prioritize spiritual things to prefer spiritual things often times the preference the affection for it comes after faithfulness in doing it those emotions follow faithfulness are you now stagnant in your spiritual growth are you moving backwards do you feel yourself moving backwards do you find yourself making excuses when someone calls you on the phone to check on you because they're concerned for you or if you sunk so deep into the sewer that now you won't even answer their call with the same measure you use it will be measured to you do not for the benefit of your own soul do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together we assemble on Sunday morning we assemble on Sunday night and we assemble at group during the week do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together a lot of sanctification is just showing up the Lord is gracious to us in that all this is just a depraved it reflects a depraved understanding a depraved understanding next Nicodemus and all men apart from the new birth have point 2 a depraved heart we see that in verses 3 through 4 they've got a depraved heart so in verse 3 Jesus answered said to Nicodemus unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he is old can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born Jesus' response here really abrupt if you put it in its context and you read it, it's stark it even sounds like he may have been cutting Nicodemus off in his patronizing in the middle of Nicodemus' patronizing of Jesus he might have waxed on a little more eloquently as time went by about Jesus Jesus just cuts him off amen, amen truly, truly I say to you unless one is born again he basically states here that Nicodemus does not know what he's talking about Leon Morris said in one sentence he sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for and demands that he be remade by the power of God Nicodemus would have seen himself as a descendant of Abraham right with God so to speak by his descendancy from Abraham he was the right race the right ethnicity he kept the law he would have seen himself as right before God he was a good lawkeeper he was a good boy and in one fell swoop Jesus Christ just eradicates all of that men outside of Christ have a depraved heart they have a depraved nature here Jesus is saying they need to be remade all over again they need a miracle they must be born again and here there's an obvious contrast in verse 4 there's an obvious contrast between the supernatural work of rebirth and the natural a contrast between the supernatural and the natural Jesus states the supernatural amen amen he says truly truly I say to you unless one is and listen to this begotten or birthed again that word anothen is a word that has a double meaning to it and I believe there's a double purpose for the use of the word here in John 3 verse 3 if you look down at John 3 verse 31 it says in verse 31 he who comes what from above right he who comes from above is above all that word there for above same word many times when this word is used throughout the New Testament it also means above that word for above in verse 31 here in John chapter 3 verse 3 is the same word didn't chapter 1 verse 13 say that the children of God are born not of blood not of flesh the will of the flesh but of God it's okay to participate of God right they're born of God it's the same way of saying they're born from above now Nicodemius obviously picks up the meaning here of again born again because of the way that he makes the next statement he says how can a man be born when he is old he's looking at it that way but this word has a double use a double purpose not only must men and women be born again that being born again means being born from above this is from God holy of God solely of God there's something that God does in us not something that we do ourselves regeneration is from above the new birth regeneration is not something that man does again you didn't have anything to do with your first birth you won't have anything to do with your second birth we have to be so careful we cannot attribute to man that which can only be done by God how different is that from Simon Magus in Acts chapter 8 seizing the power of God for himself right for self-motivated reasons self-indulgent reasons just like that natural man if you're not born again born from above you can't even see the kingdom of God you have a depraved heart and you are therefore spiritually blind Nicodemus here with a depraved heart a depraved understanding doesn't get it he doesn't get the supernatural he sees things from the perspective of the natural and his question reveals that how can man do it how can a man be born when he's old can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born this is not a silly question many think it so Nicodemus was a smart man he's a very smart man so he's following along with the conversation here and he's getting what Jesus is saying so to speak how do you start all over again now where's the restart button how does that work how does man remake himself Nicodemus has a depraved heart he's a natural man and he cannot discern spiritual things regeneration, new birth and the truths surrounding that are spiritual truths it's not a change that we perform it is a change wrought in us by God when you came to Christ now think about this for a moment if Christ is truly in you if you've truly become a Christian then at that time at the time of your second birth you became the object of God's personal and intimate and supernatural work on your heart isn't that an awesome thought God, the creator of the universe my creator supernatural work in your heart it wasn't something external wasn't some action that you performed it wasn't some action that you performed it wasn't some ritual that was done it was intensely internal it is a complete inward transformation that radically makes the person new it's a change of heart a change of will, a change of desires a change of character a change of emotions it's a resurrection it's a radical transformation of your once wicked and depraved heart depraved understanding now being made alive together in Christ that transformation has lasting effects it bears lasting fruit it's not a temporary emotional experience wasn't that one time thing now it has lasting effects you can see the effects of regeneration in your life now it has lasting effects it's not a temporary moral reformation the desire from your heart is to be holy to please Christ it's not a temporary realization of your sin the Christian life is a bitter sweet reality of joy and hope in Christ hope in heaven and walking around with an understanding of all condition a realization of your sin a morning over your sin, a daily repentance it wasn't a temporary time of joy or a temporary religious experience it wasn't that one time way back then that you shed a tear over your sin big crocodile esau tears right there's nothing about it that's temporary so many put their trust in these temporary religious experiences they go right back to living in their sin right back to failure so to speak just failing just failing, failing, failing they don't see any evidence of a work of grace in their heart and yet they would profess to you I'm born again they may respond to those experiences by the prescribed ritual the prescribed little prayer or by baptism or you know what that day I walked that aisle I did it what temporary or false sources of assurance are you holding on to I tell you if you're moving backward or you don't have a devotion to the Lord you need to examine yourself today how are you living for the Lord today what temporary or false sources of assurance are you holding on to what crutches are you leaning on it's amazing to me from the word of God that often times in the economy of words just the brilliance the genius of scripture the genius of the Lord that in few words he can completely just knock out from under you whatever crutch you're leaning on but it's also amazing to me how self-justifying and deceitful the human heart is that when scripture obviously just knocks that crutch right out from under you you're clutching to it won't let go you won't truly seek the grace of God in Christ we have a depraved heart this is a depraved heart Spurgeon said you may be rich or you may be poor but you must be born again you may be intelligent educated or talented but you must be born again point three on your notes we see in Nicodemus also we see a depraved will a depraved will that comes in verses five through eight remember Nicodemus is just an example of all those outside of Christ in verse five Jesus answered most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is spirit do not marvel that I said to you you must be born again the wind blows where it wishes hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes so is everyone who is born of the spirit now Jesus here beginning in verse five further explains makes a statement you must be born again or you must be born again or you won't see the kingdom of God here he begins to unpack that a little bit more explains what it means to be born again or born from above it is here in verse five to be born of water and the spirit there are about so many gross misinterpretations of this particular statement in Scripture but again if you study your Bible you do the work it's just not that complicated Jesus says in verse ten now put these two together in verse ten Jesus jabs at Nicodemus that he is the teacher you see that Nicodemus is the teacher in Israel and you don't know this so on what basis if Nicodemus being a Pharisee having his Old Testament Scripture on what basis would Nicodemus be expected to know these things you know them from his Old Testament Scriptures again this is not mystery dinner theater this is not a you know hide and seek and an egg hunt we've got the answers in the Bible so Nicodemus would have had the answers to these questions he would have understood New Birth he would have understood exactly what Jesus Christ was saying if he had a reborn understanding of his Old Testament Scriptures but again he doesn't because these things are spiritual and Nicodemus is a natural man he doesn't see it he doesn't get it but he should know these things because they're in his Bible and he gets this from the Old Testament if you go back to Ezekiel chapter 36 this is the New Birth this is regeneration and this is taught and expressed all over your Old Testament it is taught illustrated all over your Old Testament Ezekiel chapter 36 and look at verse 22 look at verse 22 here the Bible says therefore say to the covenant people of God right the house of Israel thus says the Lord God I don't do this for your sake oh house of Israel but for my holy name's sake God is concerned with his glory isn't he and he saves for his glory and he saves you to be a trophy of his grace for his glory to live for him it's a transfer of being slaves to sin slaves to darkness to being slaves to God slaves to righteousness for his name's sake and he says which you've profaned among the nations wherever you went look at verse 23 and I will sanctify my great name which has been profaned among the nations which you have profaned in their midst and the nations shall know that I am the Lord says the Lord God when I am hallowed in you before their eyes this has a has an evangelistic purpose to it doesn't it that's interesting for us who are beneficiaries of the new covenant when we come to the Lord by faith in Christ the nations the lost people of this world should see him hallowed in their eyes should see them him hallowed in our eyes they should know that the Lord is God by how you live your life what a how different that guy is that gal is what a what a change in their heart how is it that they're so joyful all the time how is it that they're so honest and friendly and man they don't walk around moaning and groaning and complaining all the time they love the Lord and there's joy in their heart they should see God in you he says verse 24 I will take you from among the nations gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land look what he says in verse 25 then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean you'll be cleansed from sin as if by water that's what it means there there was not this idea in the Old Testament that some ritual would save you that some ritual would actually do away with your sin that that's not taught by the Old Testament there's no idea in the Old Testament that dunking yourself in water is going to make you right with God sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean you'll be clean as if cleansed from your sin by water as if washed in the tub so to speak I'll cleanse you he says from all your filthiness it's God who's doing the cleansing not the water God cleanses you from all your filthiness and from all your idols verse 26 I'll give you a new heart it's regeneration that's being born again you're going to get a remake of your nature a remake of your heart he's going to take your nature and transform you make you a new creation he'll put a new spirit within you put the spirit of God in you you'll be indwelt by the spirit I'll take the heart of stone out of your flesh and I'll give you a heart of flesh I will put my spirit here it is I'll put my spirit within you and will cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them you'll have a new remade heart transformed from above by God's spirit that's going to result in new desires that's going to result in a new will and you're empowered by the spirit of God to walk in his statutes to obey him you see in all of this the necessity of the new birth you must be born again you see the reality of a transformed heart and then you see the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live for the Lord all a part of the new birth and then Jesus is about to give us the wind as an illustration for the operation of the spirit you're right here in this context in Ezekiel chapter 36 there is an analogy given also for this new birth look at Ezekiel chapter 37 and look there at verse 1 and again another illustration here of the operation of the spirit in God's people Ezekiel 37 beginning in verse 1 God in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley and it was full of bones then he caused me to pass by them all around and behold there were very many in the open valley and indeed they were very dry they were dead nothing but just bones right dusty old bones lying in the valley and he said to me son of man can these bones live and I answered oh Lord God you know prophesy to these bones and say to them oh dry bones hear the word of the Lord thus says the Lord God to these bones surely I will cause breath there's another name for the spirit or breath here for life to enter into you and you shall live I'll put sin news on you and bring flesh upon you cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live then you shall know that I am the Lord so I prophesied as I was commanded prophesied there was a noise and suddenly a rattling and the bones came together bone to bone indeed as I looked the sin news and flesh came upon them and the skin covered them over but there was no breath in them and so he said to me prophesy to the breath prophesy son of man and say to the breath thus says the Lord God come from the four winds oh breath and breathe on these slain that they may live so I prophesied as he commanded me and breath came into them and they lived and they stood on their feet and exceedingly great army right so you see here born of water and the spirit apart from the new birth you are a dusty bag of bones that's all you are so the dusty dead old bag of bones you must be born again Jesus says again here in John chapter 3 back in John chapter 3 in verse 7 that in order to get to heaven in order to be a citizen of the kingdom it is a divine necessity a divine necessity that this new birth take place you must be born again and then he tells Nicodemus stop being surprised by this truth don't marvel at this you should know this is clearly taught in your old testament scriptures you must be born again so we see that the new birth is supernatural the new birth is necessary it's also revealed by its fruits verse 6 says that which is born of flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is spirit like produces like kind produces kind so sinners produce what sinners sinners therefore the new birth isn't by the will of man man's will is depraved even from their birth Nicodemus those outside of Christ have a depraved will until God's spirit causes us to be born again we're not really interested truly we're not truly interested in the things of God for His glory and His name maybe for some selfish reason maybe it's just a get out of hell free card for you instead you're interested because flesh begets flesh those in the flesh are interested in worldly things there must be a rebirth by God's spirit that rebirth by God's spirit he says in verse 8 is much like the wind in verse 8 the wind blows where it wishes you hear the sound of it but you cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes and so is everyone who is born of the spirit you can't see the wind you can only see its effects the wind is not subject to human control the wind cannot be manipulated the wind goes where it pleases the wind is not subject to human decision and you can only see its its evidence its effects its fruits so where is the evidence it's a million dollar question where is the evidence of genuine regeneration among so many that claim the name of Christ today the error is is that they attribute to God or they attribute to man that which can only be done that which is only possible by God in damning deceitfulness they reduce the supernatural power of God in regeneration to nothing more than a ritual that man performs with his depraved understanding his depraved heart and his depraved will some like the churches of Christ or the Catholic church believe that new birth comes in the waters of baptism that is a damning false gospel based on a work and many trust in their baptism to have washed away their sin baptism is a symbol it's not a sacrament others listen so many others many these are the churches I came out of many many Baptist churches many many Methodist churches Presbyterian churches many of these churches believe that the new birth is conveyed through a decision made by man a decision they think to follow Christ it's called Decisional Regeneration if they can say yes to some questions if you believe a certain set of facts if you then decide and pray the prescribed prayer you are then regenerated you're regenerated to a decision that you made that person is worse pronounced saved this happens in countless crusades it happens in countless churches around this country right now countless countless people being deceived by this wicked false gospel sitting in church in their sin believing themselves to be quote-unquote born again and the Lord has never wrought that work in their heart and even worse those wicked false teachers come along and further deceive them by pronouncing them saved at best it's the deceived deceiving others right there are factories of false conversion the person is instructed to acknowledge their sin to believe a set of facts about Christ and to come to Christ Christ is pictured for them to be sitting there at the door their heart waiting for them to open the door wooing them please will you open the door there are many variations of this many variations there's a little ritualistic response where someone says a prayer or they sign a card they throw their stick in the fire they walk in aisle and there you have it you're born again is that what the bible teaches no that is a lie from hell that is proof that is evidence that satan is still hard at work churning out of the fire today it's never never it is never how jesus christ presents the gospel ever he never presents the gospel that way charles finney added to this nonsense in the 1820s with the altar call we're now a physical action on the part of the person is what conveys regeneration the decision for christ becomes a decision to walk or not to walk many make a decision without ever having their heart broken over their sin many make a decision without ever seeing their hopeless condition before christ many make a decision without ever having their confidence in their own works shattered they make a decision without ever having their confidence in their own abilities shattered they see no need for a change of heart no need for a change in nature No change of heart. No problem. Just make this decision and you're born again. They believe they are going to heaven based on their decision and it is leading men and women even now to a damning false hope. They're going to wind up in hell. He's told never to doubt his salvation. That's the teaching they sit under. The teaching they sit under tells them don't doubt it. If you doubt your salvation that's Satan. That's Satan whispering in your ear. Don't doubt it. Doubting your salvation is tantamount to denying the word of God in those churches. Arminian theology is terrible with this. So many southern Baptist churches, this garbage being peddled in churches all over the country and people being led down the Primrose path to hell just diluted flowery beds of ease. They coast, they coast, they coast, they die and they open their eyes in torment. They say it in the middle. It's just a carnal Christian. It doesn't matter that they're living in their sin. There is no such thing. There's no such thing. The new birth transforms a person from the inside out. There's no such thing as a carnal Christian. These effects aren't temporary. They set up manipulations. The church that I went to had plants. When you hear the tinkling of the music, plants all over the church would instantly stand up and walk forward to get other people walking forward. That's manipulation. Just the right way to introduce the prayer, just the right way to say it, just the right music, just the right mood, just at the right time. It is all manipulation and they're leading people to this false assurance of salvation. They're producing false converts for Christ and these people are going to go to hell when they die if they don't cry out to God and be born again. You see the fruits, don't you? We can't see the wind, but we see its evidences. Here, we don't see the heart, but we see the fruits. Didn't the Lord say that you'll know them by their fruits? Churches packed with weeds. Churches full of people in open, rebellious sin. They'll say to you, listen, if we practice church discipline like you guys did, the entire church will be cleared out. Yes, it would and amen. It should be cleared out. The church is to be a holy body full of regenerate, born again Christians. There's no love in them for the Word of God. There's no desire for the things of God. Just blatant sin in the Lord's church, abounding. They've been converted to a device. They've been converted to trickery, a counterfeit. They've been converted to manipulation, but they've not been converted to Christ. We can say, right, amen to that, we see that from the Word of God. We see the error of it, but listen, doesn't that scream to us to be faithful and evangelism with this kind of error? This is a predominant error. It's everywhere. Doesn't that beg for God's people to be evangelizing to these lost people with the truth of God's Word? Got to be faithful in evangelism. If you're here today and you've been deceived by this wickedness, praise God that you see it. But now cry out to God for mercy. Cry out to God that by His Spirit He would cause you to be born again. Cry out to God that you need a new heart. And listen, you keep crying out until you are assured that He has given it to you. Don't trust in some decision. Don't trust in some experience. You wait for the Lord to acknowledge it in you by the evidences that you see that you have been made right with God that you have been born again. You keep crying out to God for help from His Spirit. If you're going to be saved, you're going to be in heaven. You must be born again. Amen. Let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you for this time. Lord, thank you for your word. God, please, Lord, help us to be faithful in the teaching and preaching of your word for your glory. Help us to be faithful in evangelism to see people deceived by these wicked lies soundly saved for your name, for your worship. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.